The present invention relates generally to high speed electrical connectors and, more particularly, to printed circuit boards that connect or otherwise support electrical connectors and which provide signal paths for differential signals between different circuit boards and components thereon.
In backplane connections, an electrical connector is typically used to form a connection between circuits on one circuit board and another circuit board. The boards are usually oriented at right angles. Such types of backplane systems are used in the telecommunications area and in the data transfer area. In these areas, it is desirable to control both impedance and cross-talk between differential signal paths. These two aspects may be controlled in transmission lines, such as electrical cables, and on circuit boards, where it is possible to lay out complex geometric patterns of conductive traces on the circuit board.
It is therefore desirable to maintain preselected distances between differential signal paths or traces as well as the distances between the signal paths and an associated ground reference(s). The present invention is directed to such patterns and the like.